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Guide for Sexual Assault Victims
It is important for all Penn State students to know where to turn for help and what to do if they or a friend are raped. Whether the rapist was a stranger, acquaintance, close friend, or date, there are certain services you need to know about in order to get the treatment you need.
Penn State Altoona offers a student victim of sexual assault medical treatment, emotional support, and access to legal information. Health care options, resources for psychological care, and sources of legal information are summarized below. You may wish to review them and contact the various services as you need them while you are healing from the rape experience.
All services to sexual assault victims are confidential; however, hospital personnel are required by law to report rapes to the police. It is the victim’s choice, however, whether or not to talk to the police.
If You Are Raped
- Get to a safe place as soon as you can.
- Try to preserve all physical evidence. Do not bathe, shower, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing.
- Contact the police. The emergency telephone number 911 is a free call from any public telephone. On campus, a blue light telephone will connect you directly with University police.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible. Take a change of clothing with you if you go to the hospital.
- Contact a close friend who can be with you until you feel safe again. Your friend also can accompany you to the medical exam and/or police department.
Medical Treatment
It is important to seek medical attention immediately after and as a follow-up to sexual assault to determine the presence of physical injury, sexually transmissible diseases, or pregnancy, and to obtain evidence to assist in criminal prosecution. Ideally, physical evidence should be collected immediately, but it should be collected no later than seventy-two hours following a rape.
Police and Legal Services
Rape is a crime. It is important to report a crime; reporting is not the same as prosecuting. The decision to prosecute can be made at a later time.
Immediate Emergency Service
Police services within the Department of University Safety and off-campus local police departments are available twenty-four hours a day to aid victims of sexual assault. The police can ensure your safety at the scene of the rape and accompany you to the hospital. The emergency telephone number is
(814) 949-5222.
Within the first seventy-two hours after an assault, a special exam should be conducted that includes the collection of evidence that may be used in criminal prosecution. This special exam is recommended to evaluate your physical condition as well as maintain all your legal options. The exam is performed by an emergency department physician. A nurse is present throughout the procedure and a same-sex friend and/or advocate also may be present. A sexual assault advocate from Crime Victims Support Services is available to provide information and support.
The exam is available to Penn State students at The Altoona Hospital, located at 620 Howard Avenue. The Altoona Hospital Emergency Department follows national standards for victim care and is a recognized location for the rape exam and evidence collection in Blair County.
If you are a woman and have been raped, there is a risk for a resulting pregnancy. There is a medication called Emergency Contraceptive pills (ECP) that may reduce this risk by as much as 75%. ECP is available from the Health and Wellness Center on campus and must be administered within 72 hours of the rape to be effective. Call
(814) 949-5540 for more information.
If you suspect that you were unwillingly given a drug in order to incapacitate you, you may receive free drug screening through The Altoona Hospital. To accurately detect the most common drug associated with sexual assault (Rohypnol) the urine test must be done within 72 hours of ingestion.
COST. Your private health insurance may cover the cost of the exam, follow-up care, and transportation. However, to protect your privacy, the University has arranged with The Altoona Hospital to have the University pay for the exam and medical tests. Additionally, certain follow-up tests provided by Health and Wellness Center and related to the rape will be paid for by the University. If additional medical care beyond the initial rape exam and tests is required, expenses may be covered by the Pennsylvania Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund or your private health insurance.
TRANSPORTATION. Transportation options paid for by Penn State include an ambulance or a taxi (if you are accompanied by a friend). The ambulance can be reached by calling 911. Tell the person answering that you are a Penn State student. To arrange for a taxi voucher, call Health and Wellness center at
(814) 949-5550. Taxi vouchers also are available at The Altoona Hospital.
Male Victims. While most victims of sexual assault are women, some men also are victims. It is important for men to know that male victims at Penn State are accorded the same services as women, including transportation and payment provisions. Male victims are eligible for the special exam at The Altoona Hospital, with follow-up or later care provided at Health and Wellness Center. If you say that you have been a victim of sexual assault, you will receive priority over routine patients. All other support services, including emotional support and legal assistance, also are available for male victims.
Follow-up Care. After the initial treatment for rape, it is critical that the victim receive follow-up care. The testing done immediately after an assault or within a few days does not necessarily identify all potential problems that could result from a rape. A follow-up exam and testing two weeks after the rape affords the opportunity to find medical problems such as infections that may have gone undetected during the initial exam. Follow-up exams should be scheduled at the Health and Wellness Center regardless of where the initial exam took place. Women should contact Specify that you are a recent victim of sexual assault in order to get an appointment at your convenience.
Non-emergency Medical Procedures
If the rape or sexual assault occurred in the recent or distant past and you did not have the emergency exam within the first seventy-two hours, it is still important to have a medical exam. This exam will include treatment of any physical problems and various lab tests for sexually transmissible diseases and pregnancy. This non-emergency treatment for women can be arranged by calling the Health and Wellness Center at
(814) 949-55540 or by visiting the office.
If you are feeling anxious about your symptoms and come for treatment after seventy-two hours, you can still be seen at The Altoona Hospital Emergency Department. However, at that time, the full rape evidence collection exam cannot be done.
Ongoing Police and Legal Services
On and off campus. Police departments in the jurisdiction where the rape occurs are in charge of investigating rapes and sexual assaults. The results of the emergency rape exam and evidence collection may be helpful in the police investigation to identify the assailant when the assailant’s identity is unknown. You can call the police at
(814) 949-5222.
The Victim/Witness Advocate is available to offer support, information, and referrals for medical, emotional, and legal services. The advocate can help you understand legal and court procedures and accompany you to all proceedings.
On Campus. Judicial Affairs assists in setting standards for student behavior that help maintain a safe university environment. If the suspect is a student, a victim can file a complaint against the alleged rapist through Judicial Affairs. Disciplinary action is taken with due process and can include separation of the assailant from the University and removal from University property. The office is in 103 Slep Student Center and office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Penn State’s Victim/Witness Advocate can accompany the victim to University disciplinary hearings in Judicial Affairs.
Off Campus. The District Attorney’s Office presents the state’s case against accused rapists and others suspected of committing crimes. The district attorney (DA) evaluates the evidence and decides on the possibility of successful prosecution. located in the Blair County Courthouse, the county’s Victim/Witness Advocate acts to ensure that the victim’s rights to information and restitution under the law are met. The advocate will also accompany a victim to court.
Emotional Support Services
If you have been raped, you may be feeling:
- a variety of strong emotions -- fear, anxiety, depression, guilt, disorientation, powerlessness, shame, shock, disbelief, embarrassment, denial, anger;
- a number of physical problems -- sleep disturbances, nausea, stomach problems, change in eating habits, nightmares;
- confused and alone, wondering if or how you should tell your family and friends;
- that, even though the rape occurred a while ago, you would now like to talk to someone about what happened.
Whatever your feelings, there are support services available to help you.
On Campus. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides services to students about a range of personal concerns and is available to provide psychological support to you in crisis situations such as rape. Appointments for counseling services can be arranged by calling
(814) 949-5540 or by going to the Health and Wellness Center between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you specify that it is an emergency situation or that you are in crisis, you can be seen the same day by a staff member. The
staff will help you deal with the emotional aftermath of rape and explore your options for legal action and medical care.
The Health and Wellness Center offers information, referrals, and advocacy for sexual assault victims. Information regarding academic options following a sexual assault is also available through the center.
Off Campus. The Family Services of Blair County is a community agency with a 24-hour hot line (814-944-3585 or 800-500-2899) staffed with professionals and volunteers who are trained to help you through the process of dealing with the emotional, legal, and medical issues of sexual assault. They can accompany you to the hospital and court proceedings. They also provide information, short-term counseling, referrals for longer-term counseling, and support groups for women who have been victims of sexual assault and incest.
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